Matt Brown vs. Stephen Thompson
The fight was the first loss of undefeated Stephen Thompson. The Fight The first round began and they touched gloves. Brown had a very low stance coming forward touching the mat. Four thirty-five as Thompson stuffed a low ankle pick. Brown caught a body kick and worked for a double and then another low ankle pick, both were stuffed. Four fifteen as Brown worked a single. Four minutes. Thompson was defending but Brown got it to guard. Brown wanted to work some right elbows. Three thirty-five. Brown stacked him. He landed a right. Three fifteen. Brown landed a left hand. Three minutes. Brown passed to half-guard. Thompson was scooting away trying to stand. Brown was staying on him. Two thirty-five. Thompson stood eating a knee to the body, they clinched, Brown kneed the body and landed a right elbow. Two fifteen. Two minutes as Thompson kneed the body. Thompson stuffed a trip but got another trip down. Brown had the back on the ground, had the standing back on the feet. One thirty-five. "Turn hard!" Brown dragged him down but Thompson stood back to the standing back. Brown dragged him down again and had one hook there. One fifteen. One minute. Thompson was reversing as Brown looked for a calfcutter or a "calf crank" as Rogan called it. Brown was looking for something here, he ate a pair of right hammerfists, Thompson turned on top to half-guard and then guard defending an armbar. Thirty as Thompson landed a right and a left. Brown reversed to guard with two hard right hands. Fifteen with a left hand there. Brown passed to half-guard. Brown landed four hard rights to the body and helped Thompson up as the first round ended, 10-9 Brown. The second round began and they touched gloves. Brown dodged a high spinning back kick. Four thirty-five. Thompson blocked a high kick. Brown worked a single. Four fifteen. Brown switched to a double and got it. Thompson stood to the clinch eating a knee, landed one, ate two, they broke. Four minutes. Brown dove for a double and got it. Very telegraphed. Three thirty-five. Thompson stood to the clinch. Three fifteen as they broke. Thompson landed a leg kick and missed a high kick, landed a right and a left, Brown was hurt, Thompson landed a left and a right, a left uppercut and a left hook after three minutes. Brown blocked a body kick. Brown kept coming. He ate a spinning back kick to the body and a big right, Thompson blocked a high kick. two thirty-five as Brown got a single, Thompson stood. Thompson landed a right hand, left uppercut and right hand and a spinning wheel kick. two fifteen as Brown landed a right uppercut and a left hook, ate a right hand and a left hook and a right and a left hook. Two minutes with a big right and Brown replied. They exchanged hard. Brown wanted a single but nearly collapsed against the cage. Thompson landed a right. One thirty-five. Thompson landed a right hook and a blocked high kick. They exchanged. "Elbow!" Brown dropped Thompson with a right elbow. one fifteen as he pounced to guard with a right hand. two more. Another. One minute. Brown passed to half-guard. Brown landed five good short elbows, Thompson was cut. Thirty-five. The cut was on the forehead. Brown stacked Thompson landing three big rights and another. The crowd oohed with each shot there. Brown passed to side control and worked for a crucifix with fifteen. He went knee on belly. Brown landed two lefts and a big right and a right elbow and another. The second round ended, 10-9 Brown. Thompson had mouses below both eyes. The third round began and they touched gloves. Brown landed three big rights and two blocked high kicks. What a brawl. Thompson was gassed with his legs. Four thirty-five. Brown blocked a body kick. Four fifteen as Brown landed an inside kick and ate a right and a left uppercut. Thompson landed a right hand and a jab. Four minutes. Brown missed a high kick. Thompson landed a right. Three thirty-five. Brown landed a right uppercut there. Three fifteen. They exchanged wildly. Brown was swinging wildly, he ate a big right and left and right and left, Thompson was chasing. Three minutes. Brown worked a single and got it. Thompson stood to the clinch and ate a high kick as they broke away. Two thirty-five. Brown kneed the face. Brown looked at the clock. Thompson landed a big combo. They clinched, Brown kneed the body and got a nice trip there. Two fifteen as he stacked Thompson. Brown landed a right hand and a big right elbow. He passed nicely to side control. Two minutes. "Knee to the body!" Brown wanted the crucifix. "Knee to the body!" Brown landed four right elbows to the leg. "Elbows, Brown!" Brown landed a pair of right elbows. One fifteen. Brown worked a kimura. One minute remaining. Brown had that crucifix landing three short right hands there. Brown had the mounted triangle. Brown landed several short lefts. Thirty-five. More and more short left hands, working that bad cut. More and more. That cut is nasty. Fifteen. Brown worked for a straight armbar on the left arm. The third round ended, 10-9 Brown, 30-27 Brown. They hugged. 30-27, 29-27, 30-27 UD for Brown. Brown bowed to Thompson and hugged him. They exchanged a few respectful words.